A Daughter Says Goodbye
by Alagaesia girl
Summary: A week after the funeral Claire returns to say a proper father daughter good bye to Nathan.


Authors note: I was really upset when Nathan died, he was one of my favorite characters, well except Peter, I'm sorry but Milo is really cute:) Anyway what made me really mad was the fact that Claire didn't really have a chance to say good bye. I'm not sure where Nathan was buried, I'm just guessing since he lived in New York that thats where the funeral would be. Also I've never been to New York so I don't know what a cemetery there would be like so I'm just making it up as I go along, hope you like it. Now, before my note becomes longer then the story. Enjoy:)

A Daughter says good bye

Summary: Claire goes back to the cemetery a week after the funeral to say a final good bye to Nathan.

It was a windy and cold early December day in New York as I made my way out of town. I sighed as I turned off to the road that lead to my destination. I still couldn't believe where I was going, where I knew how to see him, the place I never wished to go to see a member of my family.

As I continued to drive the noise toned down and I began passing more and more trees then houses. Finally I reached the other turn off I was looking for, the dirt road that lead up the hill. It was hard to believe that there was some place so peaceful just thirty minutes outside of the busy streets of New York City.

I finally reached the gate I was looking for "New York cemetery" I sighed and wiped at my eyes, trying to keep away the tears that were threating to fall. I finally pulled to a stop about half way up the road, wiping at my eyes once more I grabbed my bag and my cell and opened my door. I shivered as the cold air hit me and pulled up the neck of my new black fur lined coat, an early Christmas gift from Peter. I pulled it up around my face but left the hood down.

I stood by my car for a few minutes before I finally took a deep breath and walked into the headstone lined rows. His stone was not hard to find, I remembered that it had been about ten stones in, after that all I had to find the the right section. Once I found it, I knew I could finally let it go. I let my tears fall as I sank down to my knees in front of his stone, lifting the flap that hid his picture and running my fingers over the simple words, "Nathan Anthony Petrelli, a loving son, brother, and father, he will always be remembered."

I couldn't help but smile at those words, there were so many times when I thought that they weren't true. I thought back to all the times that he seemed to be against me, but when I thought about it, he never really was against me he was just in his odd way trying to win me over.

I shook my head and just ignored the tears that were now flowing freely down my cheeks as I opened my bag and pulled out the things I had brought with me. I sank down all the way and put my legs out beside me. I took a deep breath and slowly began what I had come to say.

"Hey Nathan, its me-Claire-what am I doing you know who I am, at least I hope you do. I'm sorry its taken me so long to get back, a lot of things have happened in this last week since you've been gone, I don't even know where to start." I finally wiped at the tears so they would stop blurring my vision and continued, "Peter misses you Nathan-so much, I can't even describe how much he misses you. He keeps saying the he needs go after Sylar, that he has to make him pay for what he did to you, he even got himself shot the other night trying to stop a shooter from shooting up an office building, don't worry he's fine, I healed him as soon as I could. I don't blame him for what he's feeling, I feel the same way, but I can't loose him too, I wish there was a way to make him stop."

I gripped the flowers that I brought with me and gently placed them at his headstone right under the writing, the red roses almost glistened in the failing sunlight. I sniffed as more tears made there way down my face as I continued to talk, "I barely got to know you, though I have to tell you-the time in Mexico-I wouldn't trade it for anything. That was when I got to know the real you, I got to know that you really did care about me-you really did -in an odd way, love me. There are two things that I never said to you and I will regret that forever, I thought we had so much time, I know you did too."

I ran my hand over the smooth edge of the stone the only sound was the birds that were flying by, no cars, no even a plane, it was peaceful. I closed my eyes for a minute and tried to picture him, my father, my real father, I saw a small shadow in my memory but that was all. I sighed and opened my eyes again, "I only have room for two heroes in my life, I will only make room for two heroes in my life. One of them is Peter, he's been my hero since we first met in Odessa-the other is you, you earned that right when you came to get me and took me away to Mexico, the title my hero will always belong to you."

I sat there for a long time, how long I didn't know nor did I care, it was starting to get dark and I was getting tired but I was not ready to go yet. Time went on and the tears were now flowing freely once again, but I couldn't have cared less as I reached into my bag one last time. "I wrote this letter to you, I know this is something a little kid would do but I wanted to make sure that I got everything down that I wanted to say, I've already said most of it but in case I missed anything, its here for you." I folded up the paper and put it under a rock next to the flowers, "This way, no one else will ever read it." I moved the rock until it was covering the whole paper and then I rose to my knees and sat facing the stone with my hands on either side of his picture, "I know its to late," it was getting to were I couldn't see out of the corners of my eyes anymore, but I didn't care there was only one thing I was looking at right now. "But I-," a noise behind me made me stop I spun around and nearly tripped over the stone when I saw who it was.

"Whats to late Claire?" Nathan stood there looking at me like it was just another day.

"Is it really you?" I breathed not daring to believe it.

Nathan nodded and pointed to the stone, I looked and there I was leaning against the stone, I understood, "I'm asleep, I'm dreaming."

Again Nathan nodded and came closer to me, "But its a real dream isn't it."

I nodded and closed the remaining distance between us, "Can I-can I touch you?"

Nathan smiled and opened his arms, "Come here."

I didn't have to be asked twice I dove for my father's waiting arms and buried my face into his surprisingly warm chest. Nathan's arms circled around me and only the second time in my life gave me a real hug. I didn't want to let go I wanted to stay in this dream forever, to really get to know him the real him.

"Claire?" I almost didn't hear his voice I was so happy just to be held in his arms, "Claire?" he said again and I slowly pulled away from him.

"Yes," I said looking into the deep hazel eyes that I had had so many different feelings about over the past year.

"Thank you," Nathan said with a smile pulling some loose strands of hair out of my face.

"For what?" I asked, I was honestly not sure what he was talking about.

"For being there for Peter, and for calling my your hero, it means so much to hear you say that," Nathan said, I saw a small tear form in his eye but just as quickly as it appeared it was gone.

I smiled through my tears, "You heard me?"

Nathan nodded, "I will always hear you."

I swallowed not sure how to put it, "Will this ever happen again? You know, me dreaming about you like this?"

Nathan shrugged, "I honestly don't know, I'm not sure how its happening right now."

I sniffed and nodded, "Well, I'll take what I can get."

Nathan laughed and pulled me back into a hug and once again I melted into it. I felt him gently place something in my hand as his hand moved to my back.

"You said that you never said two things to me that you will always regret-,"Nathan said as he rubbed my back and I nodded into his shirt, "What were they?"

I froze, here I was, with Nathan, I had one more chance to tell him what I wanted to his face, but instead of pulling away to say it I just gripped him harder and said, "I love you daddy."

I felt Nathan grip me harder too as those waited for words left my lips, "That was it?" I heard him ask, but I knew he already knew the answer. I once again nodded into his shirt, "I never said I love you and I never called you daddy, now I have."

Nathan pulled me away for just a second and said, "I love you too Claire-I always have and I always will."

* * *

I bolted as I woke up, I was still in the cemetery, leaning against Nathan's head stone, I wiped the some what dried tears from my face and look down at my bag-the paper was still inside. I gave into a small smile as I pulled the paper out, I didn't need to leave it now but I still wanted to, it was going to be our little way of talking. I got up on my knees as soon as I had finished and once again for real this time put my hands on either side of his picture.

"Since its never to late, for all that its worth, I love you dad, and I always will," I said, as I stood up I realized that I still held something in my hand. I brought it up and opened it, I almost started crying all over again, there on my palm was Nathan's right hand ring. I dove for my bag and dug through it until I found what I was looking for, the silver chain heart necklace that Nathan had gotten back for me in Mexico. I unhooked it and slipped the ring onto it, it covered up the heart but I didn't care and I slipped it on around my neck never to take it off again.

As I headed for my car the new night sky was filled with shining stars, but one shone a little brighter then all the rest an I could swear that it was blinking just for me. As I opened the door I looked at that one star one more time and whispered, "Good night dad."


End file.
